The Shadow of Set, Part II--My Castles & Crusades game

The Shadow of Set, Part II--My Castles & Crusades game

While most of the players went a different direction, Paul, er, littlebrothermoose, wanted to continue his adventures with Mouse so he is going to attempt the second part of this adventure with Mouse, a class-and-a-half thief with magic-user abilities. I run my game with the Castles & Crusades rules and the class-and-a-half is an interesting take on multi-classing. Mouse is a 2nd level Thief with limited 1st level magic-user abilities and 9 hit points.

Anyway, we are doing this on our occasional lunch break at work & only just started.

Chapter Two: A Sinking Suspicion

While the rest of the party headed off to find their gnome gem-merchant patron, Mouse stayed behind at the inn to watch and see if any other oddities would occur. They whole party was just back from the Smiling Sultan and were concerned about the Ophidian Hand and any retribution. While he was attempting to blend in to the evening just outside the inn, Mouse was approached by two beggars. I had littlebrothermoose roll to see if Mouse detected anything unsual about these beggars, he failed and they pulled out clubs and melee was engaged. Paul had Mouse pull his blade and both of us rolled pitiful "to hits" and when we did get the odd strike, ones and twos were the damage taken. It was a long, almost embarrassing, fight. Mouse was able to drop one of the beggars and bring the other to an inch of his life. The second beggar turned and fled, leaving Mouse with two hit points. As Paul was asking about what his PC had noticed about the beggars, I rolled a 20-sided, came up with a "3," and informed him that Mouse noticed a crossbow bolt was shot and hit nearby. The bolt came from a cloaked figure perched atop a line strung between to buildings in a nearby ally. The figure cursed, tumbled to the ground and ran off into the night. As the figure fled, Mouse was able to make out a feminine figure concealed by the cloak.

At that we concluded our break and went back to work. As time permits, we will continue this quest and I'll try to post what happened.

No embarrassing about it, it was pitiful. My d20 finally decided to favor me with some good rolls and then my d6 decided its new favorite number was 1.

When I saw that crossbow bolt I thought, “That was a short solo career.” This is my first time playing a rogue, so I need to come up with some inventive tactics if I’m going to make it through this alone.

Littlebrothermoose's thief/m-u returned to the Temple of the Eternal Sun after this fight. Since it was late into the evening, the temple had closed for the night. Mouse had to bribe the guard to get an audience with Karranis, the under-priest the full party had spoken to earlier. Two gold pieces exchanged hands and the PC was let into the temple. The bribed guard promised to go and wake Karranis. When the under-priest appeared Littebrothermoose explained his PC told the priest all that had occurred since the full party had left to investigate the Smiling Sultan. He said Mouse asked if Karranis could explain what the Morass was and if he had any ideas who H. H. might be. I told Littlebrothermoose a little background about the Morass and said that the priest had no idea about the identification of who received a silver chalice from the Snake Mother. Karranis was hopeful that Mouse might be on the right track and encouraged him to continue to pursue this venue. He healed the PC and Mouse left the temple.

Littlebrothermoose had his character spend a couple of hours moving about the night scene attempting to gain more information about the Morass. At the end of his information gathering session, I told him Mouse understood the Morass came about several years ago. It has become a haven for beggars and they had gone so far as to build a shanty town. No guards patrol the region. And further, this subsistence of earth that created the dismal, mucky swamp hole also opened an entrance to the Old City that had been build over hundreds of years ago. This entrance so interested the powers in the city, an expedition was sent to perform crude archaeological studies and a building was erected by the Town Engineer to act as a headquarters for the team appointed by the engineer.

Mouse arrives at the Morass and has several encounters with the beggars. Mouse had appropriated beggar's clothes prior to arriving and was able to get by most of the beggars without any problems. He had one persistent beggar that he quickly talked his way out of and moved on to the engineer building. I explained the wooden building had no windows and the door was pad-locked. He snooped about further and found the tarp-covered entrance to the Old City. Littlebrothermoose opted to focus upon the tunnel and left the building behind so his PC moved quietly along the dark and dank tunnel. He found the two doors with men behind them playing dice or passing time. He was being very quiet, not using a light source, so was able to peer into both rooms to see what appeared to be some sort of thug-like guards. Without disturbing either group, he continued to move silently along the corridor and approached a torch-light room at the end of the corridor.

Within, Mouse saw a single thug passing time by carving on one of the numerous benches with his knife. My looking closely, Mouse noticed a ring on his finger that identified the thug as one of the Ophidian Hands Littlebrothermoose had his character attempt to move silently and hide in the shadows. In doing so he was wanting to have Mouse move towards the western door. Sadly, Mouse did not remain quiet. The thug spied Mouse and demanded what he was doing. Mouse replied he was the first to actually notice him and congratulated the thug for being observant. He than flashed the Ophidian Hand ring he had on and attempted to pass himself off as one of them. The thug asked Mouse if he was trying to win favor with Imin to which Littlebrothermoose looked a bit nervous. He had his PC say of course he was trying to climb the ladder like everyone else. The thug said that not all seemed to be as straightforward as that and implied that something about the Ophidian Hand unnerved this man. He told Mouse to go about his business. Littlebrothermoose looked relieved and had Mouse head on over to the western door, as if he were going to enter it. It was this move that blew his cover. The western door was "fastened with a rudimentary lock with a warning engraved on its face, 'Stay out, lest we hook you next.'" The thug became very suspicous and marched over to Mouse, his club out and ready to attack. He asked the little man what he was doing. The PC responded that he was just looking around. The thug said that, come to think of it, he had never seen Mouse before and something wasn't right. [Is that about how it went down Paul?]

Mouse pulled his rapier and the fight was on. Mouse was able to avoid the thug's blows for three rounds while he was unable to penetrate the studded leather of his opponent. On the fourth round, I rolled a "1" and, after a %-roll determined the thug lost his grip on the club sending it hurling harmlessly across the room. He then pulled his short sword, but not before Mouse scored a good hit, leaving the thug with 1 hp. On round five, I was able to land my first hit dropping Mouse's hit points to 2. Round six was the end of the line for the thug. Mouse had the initiative and the dice favored Littlebrothermoose. However, his PCs hoped for secret scouting of this place was at an end. Mouse was dangerously low on hit points and he now had a dead body in what seemed to be a central gathering place. He had to get out, but not before he searched the body. He found 20 gp, far more money that such a thug should carry and he failed his saving throw, making the PC now infected with the Crimson Curse. The quest to find the chalice was now very personal. He returned to the dark corridor that lead him into the Old City and successfully moved silently back down the hallway, avoiding being noticed by the guards in the two side rooms.

Littlebrothermoose is concerned, or he should be, that it won't be long before those in the Ophidian Hand will know someone has been poking around in the Old City. Mouse is going to have to act quickly if he wants to keep up the clandestine approach viable.

So much for an archaeological dig. I walked right into the middle of something big. I’m guessing this is the secret hide out of the thieves’ guild. From the sounds of it there is something more to the Ophidian Hand than your normal run of the mill thieves’ guild. Now that Mouse has the Crimson Curse finding that chalice is even more important. A quick run back to the temple and a healing is called for. Hopefully, I can get back before this thug is missed.

Littlebrothermoose (LBM for short) had his PC retreat back
to the Temple of the Eternal Sun and sought out Karranis again.He had Mouse explain what he had uncovered
thus far, after Karranis took Mouse to a private room for secrecy.

It was here that another co-worker of my, from a different
department, joined us and I had Karranis introduce the first level elven ranger
Sayid, played by Chris, to the rogue/magic-user.As a quick back story I told Chris that Sayid
had also contracted the Crimson Curse by aiding a man dying of it and as a
result the elf had traveled to the major city of Majoor/Punjar to seek a
cure.Karranis felt that the elven
ranger would be of great aid to Mouse.The under-priest cured Mouse’s wounds, gifted the two PCs a few potions
of cure light wounds and sent them out of the temple with his blessing.

He also urged Mouse to return to him if he is able to
unravel more concerning the theft of the Chalice of Aldren and the “guild of
thieves and assassins known as the Ophidian Hand.”

The two characters snuck back into the Morass, with the elf
also dressed up as a beggar and with a ring of the Ophidian Hand on his finger
as well, given to him by Mouse.LBM and
Chris wanted to explore the town engineer’s building and, thanks to a bit of breaking
and entering, they got into the facility.The looked over the office and found it to be the office of the
engineering team, a man by the name of Harles Hamweather.“His files contain very vague references to the
architectural style of the Old City and possible structural damage beneath
Majoor. . . .”What was odd was the fact
that no maps or specifics were to be found.If this excavation had just begun, this lack of information would have
been understandable, but according to what Mouse was able to find out earlier,
the Town Engineer’s department had this operation going for many months now.

Perhaps the most interesting discovery was the letter in
Hamweather’s desk drawer which was addressed to him:

“You shall acquire for me a sliver goblet from the young
thief known as Black Leaf.When you
receive it, send word for Imin—he can deliver it to me. Do not fail me in this.My success depends on this item. The Temple priests would shudder if they knew what dark
power dwells beneath their feet.Soon, I
will show them.”

The letter was signed by one Khaibet.

With this information, both players wondered where these
four individuals were.Mouse had an
earlier encounter with a female assassin that he figures was Black Leaf.Imin’s name was mentioned by the thug he was
forced to slay earlier in the evening.But both Hamweather and Khaibet were unknowns to the PCs.

LBM and Chris had their PCs return to the tunnel, slipping
under the tarp and both wanted their characters to sneak by the two guard rooms.I rolled to see if both remained quiet and in
the shadows.It was a tense moment for
the players, but both were able to get by and return to the large room with
benches and stools.To LBM’s amazement,
I told him the body of the thug remained undisturbed.They both took this as a good sign and, after
looking around the room again, opened the eastern door, but not before Mouse
heard voices behind the door.The rogue
opened the door and the ranger had his arrow at ready.

Behind the door was a very large room, light by torches,
which was easily identified as an appraisal room for goods acquired by the Ophidian
Hand, probably material that had been recorded in the ledger found in the room
of the dead Snake-Mother back at the Smiling Sultan.

Before they could check any of that out, they had to deal
with a thug and a woman dressed as a cultist to the god Set.The fight did not go well for the heroes at
first.Their big mistake was to focus on
the thug instead of the spellcaster.Add
to that their rolls were, shall we say, less than adequate for the first two
rounds!

The Set worshipper was able to cast sleep.I don’t recall how dangerous that spell is in
3.X rules any longer, but in C&C, sleep does not allow for a save and will
affect opponents up to 5 HD, and a combined total of 2-12 hit dice worth of opponents.Elves are not immune to this spell, but they
do get a save against it with a +10 bonus.So while I’m working out the details of the spell, I’m going over in my
mind’s eye how to continue this adventure if both PCs are captured.The combined total of the PCs levels is
three.All I need to roll on my
2-six-sided dice is a three or better and things are looking grim.Well, I roll snake-eyes (which I find ironic
since the caster is a worshiper of Set) and only Mouse is put to sleep.Single-handedly, the elf is able to get up,
from a previous fumble, kill the thug with his short sword and move in to harry
the cultist which fizzled her remaining spell.In the last two rounds of combat, the ranger kicks Mouse hard to awaking
him, the spellcaster uses her wand to drop the elven ranger into negative hit
points and Mouse fires his bow on the following round, slaying the evil
woman.

It was a fun, fun combat!

This session ended with the party searching the bodies,
dragging the body of the thug from the previous room into this room and walking
to the far end of the room to examine the loading dock.At that we broke up and went back to work.

We did concentrate originally on the spell caster; however my first roll I rolled a 1 and Mouse fumbled his bow.

Also, the elf is actually the one who fell victim to the sleep spell and it was Mouse who was kicking him repeatedly in the ribs while trying to hold off the thug. Probably the only thing that saved us was the thug getting between Mouse and the cultist. I don’t remember who finally dropped the thug but it was Mouse (having dropped his bow the first round) who rushed the cultist and got fried to a cinder. Sayid was the one who finally dropped the cultist and poured a healing potion down Mouse’s gullet.

Now that you mention it, I remember thinking, "there's no way Chris can miss that saving throw with a +10 bonus." The chances of him failing were slim, yet he was able to roll a low enough number he failed the save.

i enjoyed this mini-writeup. Let's hope the adventures of Mouse continue. Coils of Set is one of my favorite NG modules, and as I too have switched to C&C, I wonder if you have found any difficulties in converting it to that system?

Howdy Geleg, I'm glad you've reading & enjoying our run through this module. I'm right there with you with this being among the cream of the NG modules.

Regarding converting, the only difficulty I encounter is the spell-casters. They need a few moments of prep time to make them easy to use in combat. As you can see from the above, the sleep spell caught me unawares. Castles and Crusades is truly the best RPG system for me. It allows me to easily use modules from AD&D, OD&D, the old Basic & Expert modules, 3.X, and the various Old School materials. I even used one of Goodman Games 4th edition modules, but it was a bit more difficult to adjust to since the hit points were insanly high and I was left to ponder just how tough the opponet was intended to be.

One of the Troll Lords started calling their system the Rosetta Stone of RPG and I think it is apt.

thanks again, JediOre. I concur about C&C. It allows maximum flexibility for me, and I feel like I can GM well and not have to memorize too many rules. I've run my party through Hommelet for C&C (disguised and mutated, but basically Hommelet), and it was easy-peasy to convert. Most of the rest of the time my PCs have been going through homebrews (with a slight diversion into Matt Finch's Pod Caverns addy - also easy to convert). I'm thinking about revising my setting a bit, and making it more ophidian-friendly (errr, unfriendly) and thought about this mod. Your experiences have helped tip me in that direction

The players had their PCs explore the five "rogues' chambers" that were to the south of the main "goods" room and they began to tally in their heads just how many beds were there for this mysterious Ophidian Hand group. They did not perform any real search in these rooms, but made a quick once-over before returning to the lounge where Mouse killed the thug earlier in the evening. Both LBM and Chris were interested in the door that had a lock ( and had "Stay out, lest we hook you next" written on the door). Both had their PCs listen to the door & one was rewarded with the faint sounds of someone gnawing on a, as I described it, "turkey leg." Both fellows decided whatever was behind that door should remain there and they quickly moved to the north door and into the main hall beyond. While the main hall was empty but had four doors leading off from the hall and an opening to the north with the light of a lamp shining in from what appears to be a ledge and a rope bridge.

They found two more rooms with numerous cots, again raising the totals of how many could sleep here, a restroom with several open holes, and a kitchen. When they entered the kitchen they were confronted by the cook who mistook both characters, still dressed in beggars robes, as members of the Ophidian Hand who were there to get a midnight snack. The cook had been peeling potatoes in preparation of a breakfast of hash browns. Mouse noticed the cook did not have one of the Ophidian Hand rings on his finger, nor was a ring placed anywhere on the counter-tops. The players guessed the cook was either a slave or simply an employee with no real knowledge of what was going on. I had the cook yell at the players, telling them to go sleep it off, for both Chris and LBM had their PCs act drunk. In the end, one of the guys had their PC ask the cook for a potato since "they were hungry" to which the cook tossed them both peeled potatoes and then shooed them out of the kitchen.

The PCs then went to investigate the ledge and the rope bridge, all the while remaining in the shadows. They found the bridge crossed the subterranean river, which Chris has a deathly fear of and made sure LBM had no intentions of getting near it. They also noticed the silhouettes of two guards on the other end of the bridge. These guards are on the second story of an ancient building and the elf can see outlines of other buildings in the gloom across the river. They have truly found the Old City. But how to get across the bridge? It was both dangerous looking and was only able to have people cross single file. The two put their heads together and decide to use a spell that Mouse can cast.

Mouse casts "dancing lights" and has it appear as though a group of torches, held aloft, were floating down the river past and under the guard's position. He is attempting to make it appear that a silent boat with several torch holding occupants have come forth from further upstream. They hope this will draw out both guards, moving them away from their positions near and behind pillars to make them easier targets. The spell works, the guards not only leave their posistions to look down over the ledge, they have fear in their voices as they call out for the occupants of the "boat" to identify themselves. Both PCs get off one round of arrows in surprise. After this, a fire fight erupts with both side shooting at the other. After several rounds, the villains are killed and the characters move across the bridge. LBM and Chris spend some time discussing what to do next. The thugs again had quit a bit of money plus the gang's ring. What was down in the river below and why did the spell case so much fear in these guards? They toss the bodies of the dead guards over the ledge to have them land near the river to the south of the building they were now in. Nothing happened. Chris was very sure something might happen. Now they have to decide, do they take the door at the back of the ledge or tie ropes to the pillar and slide down into the cobbled streets of the Old City. It was fun watching these two struggle with what to do. What was behind the door? Could their two low-level characters take on what was behind the door? Was Imin, Khaibet, or Hamweather behind the door? Maybe just more guards. The cultist of Set they ran into last gaming session played a role in firing their imagination too.

Finally, they opted to open the door & I called an end to the session since our hour was almost up. I relished the idea that for an entire week LBM and Chris fretted about what was behind the door!

When we got together the next week, they started by opening the door. Beyond was several small, dog-like animals, jackals to be exact. I had both of them roll an intelligence check and one succeeded. I informed them that, in light of the cultist of Set they encountered earlier, they recalled that the jackal is often considered a sacred animal of Set. Before the roll, both LBM and Chris were wondering if they should just close the door on these growling animals and slide down a rope to the cobblestone floor below. But after I informed them of their PCs' knowledge, they had no intention of letting these jackals live. The fight was short as both characters stood in the doorway and fired arrows into the animals. They quickly moved into the room, closed the door behind them and, after a brief examination of the room, descended the spiral staircase.

At the bottom of the stairs they came to a rope with a sign painted on it blocking the exist from the staircase. The sign said, "You have no business here. Go back up. -- Imin." There was the name "Imin" again. Who was he and what was going on in the ruins of the Old City? The rope did not stop the players, they had their characters emerge from the stairwell and the ranger looked for tracks. He found them too. Several sets of human boot prints, and one hair-raising set of tracks. Large dog or wolf prints, and whatever made them walked on two legs! In Castles & Crusades rules, once a ranger had got the trail, he can track the individual for five hours. The trail moves away from the river and along a fortress wall that is to the north of the buildings the players were among. The trail passes what appears to have been a blacksmith's building and some strange structure made of marble. They follow the trail to a rusted portcullis, the opening leading into the fortress. The portcullis was rusted three-feet from the ground and anyone going into the fortress had to crawl under.

The players opt to investigate the two buildings their PCs passed prior to arriving at the portcullis. The first building was apparantly an old blacksmith's shop.

Inside they peered about from the doorway, both LBM and Chris were apprehensive about sending their PCs inside. The lamp light revealed a table of tools and such on the south wall, a rack of weapons on the north wall, and a large rug in the center of the room. The elven ranger had a feeling of something magical about, but nothing out of the ordinary was to be found.

Both players zeroed in on the rug as something to avoid. They had Mouse ease his way along the wall to examine the tools, and the elven ranger move along the wall to the rack of weapons. Both made it clear they wanted to keep as far away from the center of the room as possible. That rug just bothered them!

The theif/m-u found nothing of interest, but the ranger found an expertly crafted long sword and a loose stone in the northern wall. After some debate about what to do, the stone was carefully removed and a leather pouch with 50 gold coins was revealed. Both celebrated in the discovery of an expert long blade and the loot. Both had their PCs carefully inch their way back out of the smithy while staying as far as possible away from the rug.

LBM and Chris had their characters approach the building
made of strange marble, “with swirls of green and blue, giving the stone the
appearance of water trapped inside.A
frieze depicting strange tentacle merfolk stands over the door.”The door to this building was swollen shut
and the whole thing made both of them uneasy.

As an aside, I truly love taking them through this
module.They are completely into this
adventure.Both show real nervousness
and a claustrophobic sense as they venture further into the Old City with Mouse
and Sayid.They are great players and a
treat to DM, er CK!

Anyway, they ask if there is any other way into the
building, going so far as to check for secret doors on each of the four
walls.None are found and they decide to
pry open the door with Mouse’s crowbar.Then they slowly and carefully entered into the darkness beyond.I describe the interior of this
building.It is a single space with a
large pool of black ichor “that may have been water many centuries ago.”On the walls of this building are
inscriptions that run all about.The
players have their PCs slowly enter the large room. The inscriptions interest
them, but the pool unnerves them.LBM
has Mouse take the lamp and inspect the inscriptions while Chris has Sayid the
elf ready his bow for anything.LBM
rolls to see if Mouse can translate the writings but rolls poorly.[By –the-way, Little Brother Moose’s dice are
the worst rolling dice I have ever seen.Both sets are stinky!]However,
Mouse is able, with careful examination able to determine whatever is written
on these walls is repetitive and in two or three languages, none of which they
know.

While Mouse was engrossed in looking on the walls, he had
been slowing moving about the room.Chris
was not all that excited about LBM’s PC moving further into the room.His fears were confirmed when I told them
both that something vile, extremely bloated, and vaguely human emerged from the
pool.Blackish liquid was dribbling
from its mouth and it was way too close to Mouse.Chris had his elf shout out a warning to LBM’s
rogue.Both agreed to get Mouse and his
lamp back to Sayid and then to escape from this horrible place.The bloated thing lumbered out of the pool
and with a gurgling sound came towards them faster than its appearance would
suggest.Chris calls out that his ranger
is putting an arrow into the thing.He
rolls and hits.I describe to them that
the arrow pierces the things bloated gut and stream of blackish ooze shoots out
from the wound.It keeps coming and the
fellows have their PCs flee the building.

LBM and Chris both declare their characters slam the door
shut.I remind them that the door had
been swollen shut and that there was no way to seal the door!Both look at each other with a “now what”
look.

I’m grinning as I say the thing will most likely be able to
be at the door by next round. . . .

I guessed from the beginning that this was some sort of temple. The only question being, is it a happy good times temple, or is it patronized by scary two headed snake gods. I was hoping for the former since Mouse and Sayid could definitely use a place to fall back to and heal, unfortunately we ended up with the later. I kept imagining this room being like The Abyss when Virgil is trying to sneak up on Coffey and the water is casting flickers of light all over the walls and that edge of the seat "what's gonna happen". Then what happens is a big ugly sludge monster decides Mouse would make a tasty hors d'oeuvre.

As the two looked at each other, I stated the thing must be drawing closer to the door as their characters held the door unsure what to do. I believe the thought of that thing being able to grab at Mouse and Sayid was enough to spur LBM and Chris into action. They briefly conferred and came up with a plan: RUN! This foe is beyond any of you!

They had their PCs put some distance between themselves and the door, and both drew their bows and readied to fire the moment the bloated creature emerged from this temple of evil. As soon as I described the thing coming out of the door way and into the edge of their lamp's light, the both fired. Two hits, and two more sprays of black ooze/blood shot from the wounds. The thing gurgled, got a bead on where the PCs were and charged. LBM had Mouse grab the lamp and the heroes took out running as fast as possible to get some distance between them. One or both of them quickly came up with the idea of sprinting around a corner of a building and setting up an ambush. They would get to the far side of a building, place the lamp at their feet and ready their bows. As soon as the thing turned the corner, they would fire upon it, taking penalties for their haste, Mouse would grab the lamp, and off they would flee to attempt the ambush again.

As an aside, but one that is relevant, I did forget to mention that Chris had his PC create a rudimentary obstruction near the entrance to the blacksmith's shop, just south of the spiral staircase they had earlier climbed down to enter the Old City. This "blockade" consisted of the bodies of the two thugs they had killed earlier mixed in with propped up weapons taken from the weapons rack in the blacksmith's shop. During this hit and run encounter, while the players tried to stay ahead of this bloated horror, they had to have their characters make dexterity checks to successfully clear the obstruction. Well, on one fatal pass, LBM failed to get Mouse safely through this hang-up. The thing caught up to Mouse and in one blow, dropped the rogue/wizard from 9 hit points to -5 or -6 hit points! Mouse dropped the lantern, the flame flickered wildly and I decribed how this horror plopped down beside the still form of Mouse and began to extend its mouth, much like a snake might do. I told Chris that in the half-light his elf could tell this monster was about to begin swallowing Mouse. Black ooze drooled from the thing's orifice. The elf had to make a decision.

It was at that point we ended our day. And another tight cliffhanger would remain unresolved for a week!

Yes, time to test the new long sword indeed! Though I did not particularly relish the idea of going toe to toe with this creature, I couldn't let it consume Mouse. I knew that my only chance of defeating this sludge monster was to "Kenobi" it down! This also happens to be one of my favorite encounters of the adventure.

Chris, er, Sayid the Exile, was ready to go. He had his elven ranger, Sayid, charged in with his expert longsword. He had, over the weekend, created a back-up character for he was not expecting a good outcome from this battle.

We rolled initiative and Chris got it. He rolled to hit and scored a solid number. This was his first time to try the long blade and tried to use his d6 for damage, mimicking his character's short sword. We corrected that, and the damage was rolled. Sadly, the horrific thing had very few hit points left since it had taken numerous arrow shots. The single hit did not take it down, but it took it down to 1 hit point. I took a swing at the elf and missed. Chris rolled again and again scored a hit. This thing, or as they called it, "sludge monster," collapsed into a fetid pile. There was much celebrating!

Sayid pulled Mouse out from under this decomposing creature and gave him a potion of cure light wounds.

At this, Chris and Paul had their characters sneak back to the rusted portcullis. They spent quite a while discussing about what could be beyond this barrier. They had Mouse cover the lantern so the elf could look ahead, in the off chance a torch or something might be caught by his sharp eyes. The elf was able to tell that light was down the corridor beyond the portcullis moments before the human could tell. They again discussed what they should do. I enjoyed listening to their planning. When the party has but two low-level characters, prudence and caution keeps the PCs alive. They decided to send Mouse ahead to scout, while attempting to hide in shadows and moving silently.

Mouse was able to sneak down the corridor and examined a large room, light with torches, and guarded by two heavily armed and armored warriors. Paul had his PC sneak back down to meet with the elf. Paul and Chris plotted. They had an entire week to plot what they were going to do, for we ended our session at that point.